“Take it step by step. For democratic purposes I mentioned the truth, nothing else but the truth. If it‟s a fault, hard luck. All I can say is: Tough. It‟s tough, tough luck if its undemocratic, if its offensive to democratically state that some people have come to lobby me. “It‟s a harmless statement to make. That lobby is still far away from nominations. Nomination is an official process that will take place at a particular stage in the ANC and that nomination will lead to contestation in an election in December. When those elections take place, they will say whether I have decided to throw in my name – in an election – or not. For now, all I am saying is that the space must be open for democratic discourse. First prize for me as a South African, as a patriot, is that this space must be open, that there is nothing that says we only have five people or 10 people who can make themselves available in this country. We have 48 million. “South Africans are free. I think it is bad manners, also insulting to the intelligence of 48 million South Africans to say that people cannot talk about this subject. It is not a subject that is taboo. It is as open as operating in Nelson Mandela‟s land. That‟s what I am saying. “So, at what stage am I right now? Don‟t mistake me. You‟ve got to be writing very carefully, because they all get it wrong. We‟re at the stage where I have just been lobbied and I have said I have been lobbied. And I have said if nominations come, not lobbies – the lobbies just ask: „Are you available? Can we talk? Can we put your name? We are thinking about you.‟ – but when it comes to the stage of being nominated I have said I am going to interrogate it. “Believe you me, no one is going to get Tokyo into elections that I don‟t want to be in, into a position that I don‟t want to be part of. Nobody is going to get me there. “Thirdly, I have got to be very, very clear – I keep on repeating this thing: I have got to be very clear what it is about. That‟s all. I have every right… what the nomination is about. It‟s only fair for me to know why one is being nominated. You know, I‟ll make an example: Nobody can come and say we are nominating you in order for the economy to be growing by 20 percent next year. So I have got to know what is the agenda? Is it a mandate I can carry? Remember, in the past I have accepted nominations in the ANC – I have also declined them. So I am saying it is only fair that when we reach the nominations process, one interrogates that. That will decide whether I throw my hat in. Right now, the media seems to have thrown my hat in. “Listen to me: I will consider it, meaning I will think about it. If it‟s something I feel that I can carry, then I will make a decision. If it‟s something I feel that I cannot carry, I‟ll make a decision. I am saying that
I have done this before in the ANC, where one has been nominated. I did accept to be premier of Gauteng, but before that I had been nominated for other things. I‟m not a member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC right now – I declined that. “So I am saying the summary of this thing, which the media are getting wrong, is that when a person says I am being lobbied, meaning people are talking to me, too, I will consider, meaning I will think about it and if it is suitable, I will make a decision. That‟s all. “When I have made a decision to say OK I am throwing my hat in, it still has to go to election. I am still a free man. Then, supposing it reaches the stage, let‟s say, yes, I am elected to become president of the ANC and by definition become President of the Republic, obviously the trust must kick in - at that point. You cannot tell me to do things when I‟m still outside. “They (his companies) have me in charge until that time – or thereafter, depending on what I want to do. Yes, I‟m there. And remember, I‟ve put in more money than them, lets be very clear. And I have made money for everybody. We have not failed anybody. There is no share price that has ever gone down with me, there is no bad investment. “Get it right, Tokyo Sexwale has not yet thrown his hat. I have not been nominated yet. When we come to that process, please know the decision will be very clear, very, very clear. “This is an open country, a free society, it‟s a democracy. Anybody, anyone can stand up top make that statement (of availability). If that is a dangerous statement to be made, then our struggle was not worth it. If it is a dangerous statement to say to people „I have been (lobbied)‟, then let me tell you that means Mandela‟s long road to freedom was not worth it. I am saying I am completely opposed to such a view. Its simple, kindergarten talk. I am saying I have been lobbied. Just to say I have been lobbied and that‟s a criminal statement? Then there is something wrong with this society. Then it‟s a sick society. But it‟s not a sick society because South Africans are not saying that.”